Computer Lab

Our first day using the computer lab!  It is funny watching them try to transition from a touch screen (on our iPads) to using the track pad on the MacBooks.  :)  We introduced them today using abcmouse.com.  Soon the computer lab will be used for a literacy program called iRead, as well as Kidblog and other projects.  We have a free ABC Mouse classroom account - parents can access their child's account for free.  Contact me if you would like the login information for your child's ABC Mouse account.

Ways Parents Can Help With Math

Milk & Cookie Graph

Lots of cool Pete the Cat activities!

We just discovered this site after reading the new story Pete the Cat and the New Guy, by Kimberly & James Dean.  The kindergartners were very excited to check out this Pete the Cat site!

Milk & Cookie Predictions

#milkandcookiepredictions If you dunk it in milk, it will still be hard but the chocolate will be a little squishy. Louis

— Mrs.Piltz' Kinders (@MrsPiltzK) September 25, 2014

#milkandcookiepredictions When you dunk it in milk, it will get soft. Landon

— Mrs.Piltz' Kinders (@MrsPiltzK) September 25, 2014

#milkandcookiepredictions If you dip it in milk there will be tiny crumbs and it will get soft. Reese

— Mrs.Piltz' Kinders (@MrsPiltzK) September 25, 2014

#milkandcookiepredictions We think cookies would get even squishier the longer we leave them in milk.

— Mrs.Piltz' Kinders (@MrsPiltzK) September 25, 2014

Thank you!

A HUGE thank you to Bearret for donating these adorable puppets to our puppet center.  :)

Milk & Cookie Science

We had a great time completing our milk & cookie science experiment.  We made predictions and then dunked our cookies to see if our predictions were right.  These little scientists are doing a great job of observing using their senses!  Thanks to families who brought in supplies for today & tomorrow's cookie fun.  :)

Speaking of Cookies ...

Painting "cookies"

We have been reading If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & other stories by Laura Joffe Numeroff.  Today we made special puffy paint and painted big chocolate chip cookies.  The kids loved this messy project.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Sorting

Sorting by attributes. #shape #size #color pic.twitter.com/UnUN4cItpq

— Mrs.Piltz' Kinders (@MrsPiltzK) September 24, 2014

Sorting by attributes. #shape #size #color pic.twitter.com/V5WbLAqoSC

— Mrs.Piltz' Kinders (@MrsPiltzK) September 24, 2014

Sound Sorting

Today we used a new app, Sound Sorting, to sort the sounds of letters we have learned.  We practiced sorting the sounds of letters: m, b & r.

Squares

Today we painted a big green square for our shape wall, and learned this new song about squares.

 We also practiced writing squares and other shapes using the free app Educreations.

Peep and the Big Wide World: Quack's Square Deal

Enjoy this cute, short video about our Shape of the Week: the square!



Peep and the Big Wide World: Quack's Square Deal

App Crayons

Using our App Crayon styluses to practice number and letter writing on our iPads.  This is a great tool!  I have found them at Walgreen's and at Target.  You can also download a free letter practice app.

Poem Books

Poem books went home today.  Please read with your child over the weekend, initial the log, and return to school on Monday.  We will fill with more poems and stories next week!

THANK YOU for a Fantastic Teddy Bear Picnic!

Tweet A HUMONGOUS thank you to Heather Greeno for making our Teddy Bear Picnic absolutely fantastic.  The kids made and decorated little picnic baskets, which they filled with Teddy Grahams, waffle cookies, oranges & Bit 'o Honey candies.  They also had cute little placemats.  After we made our baskets, we walked to our Teddy Bear Picnic outside, where picnic blankets and teddy bears greeted us.  The kids had such a fun afternoon!

This week we listened to the stories Goldilocks and the Three Bears (many versions!) and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?  If you click the "Favorite Learning Videos" link on our blog, you will find links to a Brown Bear song, as well as an online story version of Goldilocks, plus lots of other songs and stories!  Enjoy!

Teddy Bear Picnic

Customize a picture slideshow

Sorting our Teddy Bears

We practiced sorting our animals by ways they are alike.  We sorted by bears vs. other animals, by color, and by size.  We talked about what we had the most and least of.

Venn Diagram

Venn diagram comparing #thethreebears & #thethreedinosaurs thanks http://t.co/lL9GoCB4uB pic.twitter.com/E6i26JaEiZ

— Mrs.Piltz' Kinders (@MrsPiltzK) September 19, 2014

Teddy Bear Picnic Day!

#teddybearpicnicday! pic.twitter.com/YEd60DHWsu

— Mrs.Piltz' Kinders (@MrsPiltzK) September 19, 2014

Porridge Investigation

After reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears, we wondered what porridge was.  We recorded our wonders and thoughts in our Wonder Journals this morning.  Then, we made porridge this afternoon.  We all tasted the porridge and graphed whether or not we liked it (we did not).  :)  We also used our senses to investigate the porridge, and recorded our findings in a Popplet.

Wonder Journals

Tweet At Open House, your child showed you his or her Wonder Journal.  This is the beginning of creating a classroom where students ask questions and "wonder" about the things around them.  Eventually, they will learn to research and find answers to the wonders that they have.  We are using the site Wonderopolis to help us engage in this inquiry.  As we become more independent, students will use the Wonderopolis app on their iPads to do their own research. 

As you saw in the students' journals, they are in the very beginning stages of writing.  Some are still using only pictures, while others are writing random letters and some are stretching out words and writing the sounds they hear.  All of this is completely natural in a kindergarten classroom.  I love seeing how they will learn and grow throughout the year, and am excited for you to see it, too!

Shapes

We began exploring a Shape of the Week today.  Our special shape is the circle!  While some students explored shapes on the ShapeQuest app, other students worked together to paint a large circle our Color of the Week, yellow.  We also listened to this Circle song by Have Fun Teaching.

 

Tweet

Student of the Month

Each month, we choose a Student of the Month to eat a special McDonald's lunch with Mrs. McCall.  I choose students who: 1) are good listeners, 2) are good friends to others and 3) who always try his/her best.  It is always a tough choice to make!  This month I chose Landon.  Congrats!

We will soon begin having a "Star of the Week" in our classroom, as well.  Each student will have a chance to be the Star of the Week.  This will be their time to share about themselves and bring in a Show & Tell item.  When your child is Star of the Week, a poster will come home that you can complete together.

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

On Friday, October 10th we will visit J&K Farms pumpkin patch in Laurel.  We will be gone from 9:30-1:30ish.  Cost of the field trip is $7, which includes a pumpkin.  This is always a fun way to celebrate fall & culminate our learning about how pumpkins grow.  If you can join us as a chaperone (no admission cost), please let me know.  You will need to complete the background check paperwork, which is available at the office.  Thanks!

Teddy Bear Picnic

#teddybearpicnic on Friday! Don't forget kids can bring a teddy bear or other stuffed animal to school!

— Mrs.Piltz' Kinders (@MrsPiltzK) September 17, 2014

Cookies & Milk

Next week we will be reading If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & other stories by Laura Joffe Numeroff.  On Thursday, we will complete a milk & cookies science experiment, and on Friday we will sample different cookies & graph our favorites.  If you can help by providing any of the following, please let me know!
- Oreo cookies
- chocolate chip cookies
- sugar cookies
- milk
- small plastic cups (preferably clear)

Thank you!

Centers/Study Stations

At this point in the year, kindergartners are learning how to rotate to study stations during center time.  They are participating in fine-motor and social skills centers such as blocks, play-dough, Legos, puppets & kitchen.